Evaluating the Effectiveness of Interventions on Increasing Participation in Cervical Cancer Screening

Abstract

Background:Although cervical cancer is highly preventable through regular screenings using Pap smear or human papillomavirus–deoxyribonucleic acid tests, cervical cancer remains a prevalent women's health issue across the world. Therefore, encouraging women to screen for cervical cancer is very important for the early detection of cervical cancer.Purpose:The purposes of this study were to (1) assess the effectiveness of three interventions that are typically used to increase the uptake of cervical cancer screening during home visits and (2) determine the participation rate in cervical cancer screenings after invitation, the health promotion perceptions, and the cervical cancer and screening-related knowledge of women. The three interventions noted in Purpose 1 were one-on-one training accompanied by an educational brochure, providing the educational brochure only, and giving an invitation without any relevant information.Methods:This interventional study was conducted on women who were between the ages of 30 and 65 years in three Turkish provinces (Ankara, Malatya, and Trabzon). Five hundred twenty home visits were made, and 356 women who did not have a Pap smear test within the previous year were invited for cervical cancer screening. Women were randomized into one of three intervention groups, and the participants in each group were invited to attend a national cervical cancer screening program and to undergo a cervical cancer screening using the related intervention type.Results:The results showed that the interventions used during home visits and knowledge were effective in encouraging women to participate in cervical cancer screening. It was determined that the participants who had received one-on-one training accompanied by an educational brochure had a higher cervical cancer screening rate than their peers who were offered a brochure only or a verbal invitation only.Conclusions:Invitations to screenings that are made by providing training accompanied with a brochure were found to be effective in increasing the participation of women in cervical cancer screening.

Barriers to Women's Pap Smear Testing and Related Risk Factors in Turkey

“…Training Centres (KETEMs) provide screening service free of charge, these rates are expected to be substantively higher. However, the low rate of having a Pap smear test found in this study is in parallel with the results of previous national reports (6,14). However, in several previous reports, it has been stated because of having no health insurance or a low socio-economic status, women could not join the screening programs (22) and medical costs have been reported to be barrier to not having the Pap smear test (23).…”

“…In another study, 79% of the women in an age range of 40-64 years were found to have had a Pap smear test one in the previous 3 years (21). In Turkey, in three different studies conducted in different groups from different regions, these ratios were reported to be 13.5%, 25.2%, and 66.1%, respectively (6,7,14).…”

“…However, Watts et al (25) reported that the women with at least a high school educational status (56%) had a higher rate of having a Pap smear test. Several other investigations have shown that low levels of education are reliable indicators for screening non-adherence (14,26). It is considered that the women did not allocate time for the Pap smear test because they were young and they had work-or family-related responsibilities.…”

Bi̇r Ai̇le Sağliği Merkezi̇ne Başvuran Kadinlarin Pap Smear Testi̇ Yaptirma Durumlari İle Servi̇ks Kanseri̇ne Ve Pap Smear Testi̇ne Yöneli̇k Sağlik İnançlari

“…Bu sonuçlar kadınların sık görülen kanserler ve erken tanısıyla ilgili bilgilendirilmesinin farkındalıklarını arttırarak, erken tanı yöntemlerine başvurma oranlarını arttıracağını göstermektedir (25). Günümüzde serviks kanseri nedeni ile olan ölümlerin %90'ı tarama çalışmalarının sistematik ve yaygın şekilde yapılmadığı gelişmekte olan ülkelerde görülmektedir (11) kadınlara serviks kanseri ve pap smear testi ile ilgili eğitim/broşür verilmesiyle ve evde izlemiyle serviks kanseri bilgi düzeylerinde ve taramalara katılımlarında anlamlı artışlar görülmüştür (26,27). Sağlık çalışanlarının pap smear testi ile ilgili farkındalık yaratma ve pap smear taramalarına katılım oranlarını arttırmada önemli sorumlulukları bulunmaktadır.…”

Knowledge among patients with Hepatitis C initiating on direct-acting antiviral treatment in rural Rwanda: A prospective cohort study

“…As access to DDAs increases, patients' knowledge about hepatitis C could influence uptake of hepatitis screening, linkage to treatment, and treatment outcomes, thereby impacting the likelihood of successful elimination campaigns. Participant's disease-related knowledge has been associated with increased participation in screening campaigns for many diseases, including cervical cancer [7], hepatitis B [8], and HIV [9]. Among patients enrolled in hepatitis C treatment programs, higher patient knowledge has been associated with reduced loss to follow-up [10], while other educational interventions, such as singlesession group educational interventions and multisession one-on-one educational interventions, have been associated with increased willingness to initiate treatment, reduced time to treatment initiation, increased adherence, and increased likelihood of sustained virologic response (SVR) [11][12][13].…”